Dispar
by KuroSakura-chan
Summary: Aerith, you really need to stop picking up strays..."
1. Chapter 1

Title: Dispar

By: KuroSakura-chan/KuroSakura

Category: Final Fantasy VII/Final Fantasy VIII

Genre: Angst, Drama, Tragedy,

Summary: "Aerith, you really need to stop picking up strays..."

Couples:

Warnings: Yaoi, 1st Person,

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VII.

…

-Squall-

It hurts. My body hurts. The whole thing. I have never fought so hard in my life, and now...Now I can't move, it hurts so much. I just want to lay down and give up. Rest. Maybe I'll find the energy to move again, but right now, even that thought hurts.

I'm glad I'm alone. I wouldn't be able to deal with the others seeing me like this. I can't take their pity. And I know they would say it isn't pity, but what else can they do? They can't connect with me on an emotional level, so they can't empathize with me, so it is pity. That is all there is to it.

_Poor dear...He looks like he's been through so much, and he's so young..._

I look up, trying to find the woman who is speaking. But the pain blurs my vision into white, so I can't see anything. To be honest, I'm not even sure that my eyes are actually open. Too much hurts for me to tell.

_Get some rest, young one...I'll see that you are taken care of. I promise._

I try to ignore the order given by the voice. This woman isn't one of my superiors. But an order is an order, and really, I just want to sleep anyway...It isn't long before I feel myself drifting off.

A/N: Yes, it is short. Yes, you may guess as to who the woman is. Yes, you should be able to tell. Yes, I know I shouldn't be starting a new one. Do I care? No. I'm just doing what is entertaining me, so it's here.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Dispar

By: KuroSakura-chan/KuroSakura

Category: Final Fantasy VII/Final Fantasy VIII

Genre: Angst, Drama, Tragedy,

Summary: "Aerith, you really need to stop picking up strays..."

Couples: Sephiroth/Vincent,

Warnings: Yaoi, 1st Person,

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VIII.

…

-Zack-

"Reno and Rude? Seriously? Aerith, I don't want to sound like...like a pig-headed male, but are you sure you're thinking clearly?" I say, hoping I'll get through to her. Taking in some unknown she found out-of-sync with the Lifestream is one thing, after all, that's what she and I both were. Beings who, for whatever reason, hadn't or couldn't sync with the Lifestream and were placed back on The Planet to try and fix that. The problem is that _she_ was having a kid and is still planning to keep this...boy around for awhile.

Yes, he is definitely still a boy. He is 19, at most. And while I'm normally inclined to believe in the goodness of those I deem children, this boy was in the Lifestream, unable to sync with it. That means he has at least one past demon that weighs heavily on him. Plus, this kid is a fighter. I can see it in his features and the way he sleeps. I'm sure if it were a normal sleep, our voices would have him up in an instant. He would look relaxed enough to an untrained eye, but I can see the minute muscle tension over his entirety. And even if I didn't notice that, the fighter physique and scar across his face would be dead giveaways.

"You know, Cloud said the same thing, only he was much clumsier about it." Aerith comments, setting a damp towel on the boy's forehead. "And I will respond to you the way I did to him. I have thought this through, trust me. He will need to be with people who can handle him. I _would_ send him to Vincent and Sephiroth, but they have enough trouble trying to re-integrate _themselves_ with society."

She is right, of course. Vincent is just now starting to relearn society after 30 years asleep, and Sephiroth is like Aerith and I. Unable to sync with the Lifestream, and wanting a chance at the life he should have had, had it not been for Hojo and Jenova. A chance to be with the man he'd fallen head-over-heels for, a man who didn't dare love anyone because of the immortality forced upon him by Hojo and Lucrecia. Honestly, the two might as well have been made for each other.

"But, Reno and Rude?" I ask again, not fully understanding. She could take care of him, so long as Cloud kept a close eye on the boy, or Tseng and I could.

"Yes, Reno and Rude. I would happily take care of him, but the birth is coming, and I can't leave here. I thought about giving him to you and Tseng, after all who better to help him learn our society? But, you two are busy and will be unable to provide the stability and energy he will need." She answers, looking up at me with those damn green eyes that make me want to fall for her all over again. Sometimes I wonder if she's aware of what those eyes can do to a person.

And again, she's right. Tseng and I protect Rufus ShinRa, as little as he needs these days, and work as WRO members. We don't have time to take care of someone. As for her, she really can't leave this place, The City of the Ancients. Her reason for returning to The Planet is different than mine or even Sephiroth's. Sephiroth couldn't join the Lifestream. I _wouldn't_, not until I was sure Sephiroth and Cloud were all right. Aerith, she wouldn't merge with it, either. She _became_ the Lifestream. It's in her eyes, the proof that she is the life of our planet. She returned to carry on her race, the Cetra. If she hadn't, the child she was carrying when she died would never live, and the Cetra line would end. But, since she _is_ the Lifestream, she must stay somewhere it touches the surface. There are so few places that fit that criteria, that she really doesn't have a choice as to where she lives. Her church in Midgar, which is uninhabitable because of the high amounts of Mako, the Norther Crater, which is laughable because of the memories it holds, Mideel, which is quaint, but too many people remember the Ultimate Weapon showing up after Cloud was there, and here, in the City that housed Aerith's ancestors.

Not that she lives alone here. Cloud lives here with her, and Cid has been known to show up and stay for days on end. I think he's taking a break from having to be Rocket Town's voice in everything. He'd much rather just sit around building more airships, or maybe rockets, but life isn't about what you want, unfortunately. He has responsibilities, now that he's a hero.

There's also a group of women and children who've recently taken up residence, but not near the inner sanctum with the big fish blocking everything that is now Aerith's temple off. Aerith has this innate ability to make anyone feel calm around her. These women are one's who's husbands had died, or were abusive fucktards. The children are mostly children who were orphaned. A lot of them have found new mothers in the women who are living here, and those who haven't are still taken good care of.

Vincent and Sephiroth were living here until about six months or so ago. Aerith actually had to force them to leave. Vincent's a natural recluse, and Seph's nervous about showing his face in public after everything that has happened, which is understandable. Also something he'll never admit to. But that's just who Sephiroth is, after all. Not that it matters too much. He'll be happy if he has Vincent, who'll be happy as long as he has Sephiroth, and we find the reason that Aerith had to force them out of the city. She desperately wants them to live the life she feels they deserved, much to their dismay. So now, they're in Gongaga, staying near my parents. I'm not sure how long they'll be there, but at least it's a start. I imagine it's too early for them to dive straight into Kalm, or Edge, or even Junon.

Reno and Rude are here at the moment, too. Tseng sends them here to check up on Cloud and Aerith, not wanting Cloud to be too worried about Aerith to leave and get supplies. It was mostly my worry, but Tseng understands and shares it, meaning Reno and Rude are sent up here at least once a month. Of course, it doubles as vacation time, so they don't complain too much. Well, Rude doesn't complain at all, and Reno just complains because that's what he does.

"All right, you win." I finally say, shrugging my shoulders. There's no way I'll be able to argue her out of this choice, especially since she actually gave me solid reasons for why she's decided this. I mean, it's not like Cloud or I ever had a chance of winning against her once she'd made up her mind, anyway, but it's even worse for us if she gives solid reasons. "You want me to go get Reno and Rude for you?"

"No, thank you. I'll call them when he wakes. I want to make sure he's all right before I send him off. I mean, could you imagine if Reno or Rude were the first people he saw after waking? Rude is big and silent, and Reno'd probably be smoking...He'd think he'd been kidnapped by the mafia or something!" She laughs. I can't help but laugh too, and try not to mention the fact that the Turks are just as bad if not worse than the mafia. "I suppose the only thing that could be worse is if he woke to Vincent and Seph...Mr. I-Brood-A-Lot, and Scary Leather Man?" This, of course, prompts another laugh, until we hear the clearing of throats behind us. I turn sheepishly to see Sephiroth and Vincent standing in the doorway, Sephiroth with his arms crossed over his chest and an eyebrow raised and Vincent as hard to read as ever under that cape of his.

"Hey, she said it, not me!" I say, holding my hands up as I profess my innocence. Aerith giggles, not trying to aid me at all.

"Yes, we heard, Zachary." Vincent says, reaching up to unbutton his cape. He pulls it off and slings it over his right arm, wearing a ruby-red turtleneck and black jeans beneath it. His hair has been cut, if only just to help him tame it after 30 years of neglect. He claims it to be more reminiscent of his Turk days, but none of us are actually old enough to verify that. Although I did see him in his coffin once, his hair was already long by then. That was only about five years before Cloud woke him up, after all.

"Hello, boys. I didn't know you were coming to visit." Aerith says warmly, standing and waddling to the door to greet them both with a hug.

"Cloud invited us for a bit. He didn't want us to show up when he has you sequestered away for the birth." Sephiroth says, looking over her shoulder at the boy laying on the bed. "Aerith, you really need to stop picking up strays..." He comments.

Vincent hides a smirk under the pretense of a cough, but I caught it. "Another poor soul unable to stay in the Lifestream?" He asks, walking over to the bed. "That's strange..." He murmurs, and Sephiroth frowns.

"You should be more careful, Aerith. At this rate, Cloud won't be able to tell which are his." He teases lightly, trying to keep her attention on him while Vincent leans very, very close to the boy. It almost looks like he's sniffing him, and I just try to ignore that. It could very well just be one of the things he's picked up from the demons running rampant inside of him.

"Oh, hush, Seph." Aerith pouts playfully, turning from him just in time to see the boy take a swing at Vincent. Vincent catches the hand, chuckling as he steps away from the bed, letting go. "He's awake?" She asks, and Vincent shakes his head.

"Just an unconscious response to my proximity. Aerith, were you aware that you have brought someone from another plane here?" He asks, walking back to us. I stare at him, trying to figure out how he knew that, because I certainly didn't.

"Yes. There are a few places within the Lifestream where the boundaries between planes are blurred enough that on occasion, someone or something can cross through." She answers, waddling back over to the bedside. "I wouldn't have brought him here if he hadn't crossed all the way through...I would have helped him back to his own plane, otherwise. His plane isn't much different than ours, after all. The Lifestream feeds it too...In fact, I think it is our plane of existence, just in a different time." I simply stare, confused, as Vincent nods, seeming to understand all of it. "Was it Chaos who noticed?"

"Yes...He's always curious when he notices something that doesn't belong here." Vincent responds. Finally, I just give in.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"You don't honestly think we're the only place to exist, do you, Zack?" Sephiroth asks. I flush slightly, shaking my head violently. I _did_ think that, but I'm not admitting it while he's looking at me like I'm an idiot. "Well, that's all they're discussing. The fact that we're not alone, and he happens to be proof." Seph jerks his thumb at the kid to make his point.

"Having a cozy time blocking the doorway to Aerith?" Cloud asks, walking up the stairs to the hall we're half-standing in. "Come on, dinner's ready. Aerith, I'll bring the kid his soup, but only after you eat, all right?" Aerith pouts, but stands and waddles to the door. Sephiroth and I move so she can get out first, then follow her and Cloud to dinner.

A/N: There's chapter two. Sorry it took so long, but life sucks. Plus, no internet at the moment, so even if I did have the chapter finished, I would have a hard time posting. Anyway, R&R~

Next Chapter:

-Squall-


End file.
